Your “About” Page Really Needs an Update!

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Christine

I just realized that my “about” page for for this blog was about 5 years out of date! Wow, that was a trip down memory lane… back when I was on bedrest for 10 weeks due to preterm labor while pregnant with Will.

He was only born “3 weeks and 1 day early”. He has been a very healthy little boy. Now Will in a Montessori preschool and growing so fast!

Here is an update to what’s “about” me these days:

Hi, I’m Christine. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I moved here from Portland, Oregon July 2005. I have since worked at the Apple Store (where I met my husband), a yoga studio, Lululemon, DeepRoot, and TaskRabbit. I also used to teach bellydance and perform with the troupe Gypsy Caravan of Portland, Oregon.

I am now in the process of re-inventing this blog and myself as my 3.5 year old son has just transitioned into (nearly) full-time preschool.

I’m hell-bent on becoming a linchpin, living the well, rasing an awesome child, and social good. I also dream about dance and how I will revive it both in sharing the knowledge and collaborating with other dancers (both in class and in performance).

What moves you?

Yours,

Christine

Contact:
email me at: christine [at] maternityshare.com

Failing to Fail Properly

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Christine

Fail until you SUCCEED via http://fatfithealthy.tumblr.com/

I had to sweep the floor so that I could do yoga before I got started on my work. Then I had to check my email, my Facebook, and download Kickstarter gift from Beats Antique so I could have some sweet tunes to work to. But, actual my work is not getting done – and everyday this routine keeps repeating itself, the worse I feel.

Why am I stuck in a this cycle of avoidance? It SEEMS like I’m getting stuff done. But, that stuff is not what I need to get done first to show improvement in what I REALLY want to be doing.

My friend Almine posted a picture to Facebook today of a rock climber against a beautiful background so high up that only birds could (or so I would have thought) see that view. The caption was “Fail until you SUCCEED”. That image coupled with the spirit of Almine inspired me to post it on my own Facebook page so it would sit there as a reminder.

Okay, so, I know I am failing right now (because this blog post is not the work I am supposed to be doing), but, I don’t think that is what she meant by it.
In order to successfully fail I need to do my work. Put one foot in front of the other and JUST DO IT.

So, here I go. I am ending this post (which at least I can tally as writing practice) and moving on to the work I keep putting off: social media for an amazing new start up. I hope to be bold enough to post here about it here very soon.

Now, time to fail until I succeed.

Gentle Sane Respectful Bedtimes

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Christine

Bedtime is hard. And it seems to just get harder.

My son is 3 1/2 and he knows everything. He is also an expert deal maker and very stubborn (wonder who he got that from?).

Well, here’s what I aim to do about it: treat him with respect. Well, I also want to treat me with respect too… and, I know that he just won’t agree with that. At least not all of the time. But, I have to for two reasons:

I am going insane because I am not asking for the respect I need in all my relationships, not just with him.
He needs me to model self-respect so he can practice it too.

I am challenged by this and need to give more thought to how I will walk the self-respect road (which also means I will be working with Boundaries). Oh boy.

So, in this quest I am on the lookout for tools and inspirations to help instill a calmer transition to bedtime. Ones that will help us wind down together. Ones that support a bonding experience where we are both engaged in a peaceful activity with creative elements.

Today I came across one such tool in the form of a beautiful little iPad and iPhone app by shape-minds.com called Nighty Night! HD.

This story will be a wonderful tool for the wind-down period before bed. It is beautiful, peaceful, and simple. A very friendly narrator introduces and closes the real feature of this app: kids get to put the animals to bed! First they can play around with each animal by touching them.

I haven’t had a chance to show it wil my son yet. I will report back with his review, but I found it to be a lovely work.

I can see the potential for a custom expereince. Here are just a few ideas:

CREATE A TUNE by playing around with the little sounds that are produced when you touch the three fish swimming around in their pond before you put them to sleep. (I had a lot of fun with this when I played with it.)
A STORY WITHIN A STORY: You can give the animals names and make up a story about how their day went at school or whatever topic is on your child’s mind.

I recommend letting children play with this book in their own way at first, then, one-by-one, introduce ideas like the above. This gives kids the opportunity to really grow with this book (or any other book or toy) and to discover the multifaceted goodness that is there just waiting to be discovered.

I can’t wait to give Nighty Night! to my son tonight. I will bring it during our bedtime routine and present it right after bath and before we read books (the old-school paper kind).

Enjoy!

Lost Wallet – How to Protect Yourself

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Christine

I lost my wallet.

Now, I am learning all the intricacies of keeping my assets and identity safe. I am passing this along this crucial information so that you can too.

I thought I had it all covered but, when I googled what I thought was last on my list: “how do I report a stolen wallet?” (to hopefully find an easy way to do it online) I discovered a site created by the FTC that had a checklist of the things you need to do to “keep it safe”. Here are their steps to take to cover your heiny.

A lost or stolen wallet or purse is a gold mine of information to identity thieves.
If your wallet or purse is missing:

File a report with the police immediately and keep a copy.

Cancel your credit, debit and ATM cards immediately.

Get *new* cards with *new* account numbers.

Call the fraud departments of the major credit reporting agencies.

Ask each agency to put out a fraud alert on your accounts.

Report the loss to the fraud department at your bank.

Review your credit reports regularly and have them corrected when necessary.

Report a missing driver’s license to your state’s department of motor vehicles.

If your keys are missing change the locks on your home and car.

GOOD LUCK!

~~~

Extra Reading to take care of yourself after your wallet goes AWOL:

Credit Reporting Agencies

Equifax
www.equifax.com
1-800-685-1111

Experian
www.experian.com
1-888-397-3742

TransUnion
www.transunion.com
1-800-888-4213

Identity Theft

www.consumer.gov/idtheft
1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338)

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the federal clearinghouse for complaints by victims of identity theft. Although the FTC does not have the authority to bring criminal cases, the FTC assists victims of identity theft by providing them with information to help them resolve the financial and other problems that can result from identity theft.

Favorite (and not so favorite) Things

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Christine

I find myself checking out dooce.com when I should be doing other things. Its one of my favorite ways to procrastinate online (following checking email and facebook as well as other miscellaneous sites).

Yesterday on dooce’s blog she (a.k.a. Heather Armstrong) posted her own answers to a question from Gettysburg Mom, a user on the dooce community forum. At the end of her post she asks us, her readers, what our answers are.

I was inspired to answer her question here on my own blog. Here we go:

FAVORITE THINGS about the holiday season:

-Specialy treats flavored with pumpkin, cinnamon, clove, and cardomom (but not all at once). Oh, and hot cider. Yum.

-Christmas music. I love to hear it and sing it. Will liked singing Christmas music last year and I have a hunch he will like it even more this year! (I have this fantasy that we will get all dressed up and go Christmas caroling. … that will most likely stay a fantasy unless someone else makes it happen).

-Wrapping presents. (Heather, I would wrap yours were I in town. I LOVE to wrap presents. I make them mini-works of art.)

-Christmas trees.

-Celebrating Christmas at my mom’s. She always makes the house so cozy and her Christmas trees are so lovingly decorated. Christmas is just not “Christmas” if I can’t be with her in her home.

-Watching my son’s growing love of celebration and ceremony. He loves to sing Christmas songs and he likes the stories and ritual behind it. He also loves seeing his family!

LEAST FAVORITE THINGS about the holiday season:

-Christmas shopping. I invariably shop for myself when I should be shopping for others. … I just don’t know what people want (that I can afford). … I know from my own experience that when I receive a gift that I just can’t use or don’t want to use I feel guilty and burdened. I love the thought of the gift and, I especially love looking at the wrapped version of the gift and the opening of the gift but, too seldom do I find something inside that I need or want. Sorry! (See? I feel guilty just admitting it.) I would rather receive a note with an announcement of a donation made to a community who needs water or education.

-Being cold. Moving to the San Francisco Bay Area helped out a lot in this department. (Especially now that I migrated over to the East Bay.) I would freeze my a** off in Portland, Oregon (where I moved from 6 years ago).

-Bad Christmas Music. This needs no explanation, right?

-Bad Christmas Food/Drink. You are what you eat. And I don’t want to be crap. I don’t want to feel like it either.

-Driving from the SF Bay Area to Portland. That’s how we get there (if we’re going). It was easy when Will was a baby, he would just sleep most of the way. He’s 3 now. We have to do the trip in two days to ease the many “pains” for us all involving Will’s comfort level. (Its better on our backs too.)

-Pressure and obligations. This means different things to different folks, I am sure. And it varies a bit from year to year for myself. (This could be a whole ‘nother blog post.)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Enjoy yourself and the ones you love. And, consider doing something for others whether it be a smile, or something like a donation to help build a well for a community who desperately needs water.

You choose. You always have a choice.

Rainboots Review — Keep the Kid Dry!

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Christine

Its raining outside! Will needs a new pair of boots. His last pair are nearly outgrown and covered in the goose poop that I could not bring myself to clean after our last romp at Lake Merritt in Oakland (DAMN GEESE!!!). I am embarrassed to say that the caking on of the goose poop happened his birthday weekend which was MID-JULY! I still have those boots in plastic bag. They WERE in a corner Will’s bathroom hoping for a cleaning. I recently moved them next to the front door next to a bag marked “DONATION” but, how can I in good consiounce give away goose poop encrusted boots.

Nasty.

So, since he has nearly outgrown those hand-me-downs, and since he has gotten loads of use out of them, it is time for a new pair.

I decided to get a pair that he could flex his foot in instead of the kind that kids have trouble walking around in. He’s going to be walking, running, bending down and observing treasures on the ground AND riding his Strider bike in those things. Those cheap boots with the unbending sole just won’t cut it. (Why do they make such things anyway? Is is so much to ask that manufacturers spend five more cents on making the boots with soles the cater to the actual humans who will be wearing the boots?)

I saw some sweet ones that bend, look cool and had additional features that I TRIED to talk myself into spending the money on. I even went so far as to ask papa B if it was an unreasonable amount to spend on a pair of footwear that a 3 year old will outgrow in about a year (unless there is a growth spurt that will render them useless to us next season). Papa B’s response: “you could buy 3 pairs for that amount”. So, I have decided to to go for a “middle of the road” pair. – FINE!

So I went to zappos.com and searched “rainboots boys” and sorted them by price from “lowest to highest” price. Here is the result.

How about these Fire Chief boots from Zappos.com? $26.95

But these dino boots look even MORE flexible and, super cute to boot. $35.00! That is only $5 less than the extra technical ones I really wanted.

Dream boots:

Wear the forest! (Aslo available in black.) Awesome technical boots: http://www.zappos.com/bogs-kids-classic-high-no-handles-toddler-youth-mossy-oak $68! Gulp!

Cute cute cute and no-nonsense: http://www.zappos.com/hunter-kids-kids-first-toddler-youth-yellow $50 comes in other fun colors.

Close contenders:

This one has a drawstring at the top! KEEP OUT: Rain & Snow! And, its a bit cheaper: $37.50. But, will the sole flex? http://www.zappos.com/tundra-kids-boots-husky-toddler-black-black

Love how HIGH these boots reach up the leg. Stay out nasty puddle water! http://www.zappos.com/kamik-kids-stomp-infant-toddler-youth-black~1?zlfid=111&recoName=zap_pdp_sub

This one has the highest customer rating, and I see loads of kids wearing this type of boot. I have tested the flexibilty factor in a store and approved of it! The only problem is they don’t have Will’s size. $27: http://www.zappos.com/western-chief-kids-frog-rainboot-infant-toddler-youth-green-frog . BONUS! Matching cute-overload raincoat: http://www.zappos.com/western-chief-kids-frog-raincoat-toddler-little-kids-green?zlfid=111&recoName=zap_pdp_sub

RECYCLEABLE BOOTS! And they are HIGH, and they have Trek sole, AND a shark pattern. AND they are close to the cheap goal at a modest $31.00: http://www.zappos.com/kamik-kids-sharks-infant-toddler-youth-green?zlfid=111&recoName=zap_pdp_sub

Preschooler Disarms “Mama Mean Face”

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Christine

As I was hurrying Will, my 3 year old son, to get his shoes on so that we could leave for school he asked me:

“Mama, why do you have that face?”

Disarmed, I asked “What does it look like?

“A mean one” he replied.

Gulp. I took a breath to help ease the lump I felt both in my belly and in my throat. My sweet man was doing just what I have been encouraging him to do: communicate by using his words. Instead of acting like a crazy little man (by hitting or kicking or making spit spray out of his mouth with airborne raspberries, or, saying the word Stupid just to “get my goats”) he asked me a fair question.

I apologized and I told him that I was feeling frustrated and tired. I think I then switched to talking about pleasanter things and rearranging my face to reflect that of loving (if still damn tired) mama.

~~~

I have been wanting to write about some of the things I have been experienceing about parent-hood as well as what my preschooler has been experiencing but I have been too damn tired, frustrated and, hesitant to share those things.

I have things I want to share, things I want to ask, and things I want to dialogue about.

Don’t most parents head to the internet to ask questions or to learn more about a subject. Don’t we want to hear about what other parents are experiencing and what they have tried and discovered?

I am finding that I am becoming a child advocate and a spring of knowledge not only about children, parenthood, schools but also about improving oneself and about social good. It has taken me a load of time that I “should” have been spending doing other things – things like getting a job or cleaning my house.

To be continued…

MaternityShare

a mama's blog about creativity, love of feeling good, parenting adventures, and more…

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